Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-01-13
The Haunted Chamber.
Author of Monica" Mona Scully,"
Phyllis" etc., etc.
BY THE DUCHESS. "

Phyllis" etc., etc.
Arthur, watching carefully, sees Sir
| Adrian go quickly up the broad front
| staircase, after which he turns aside,
and, as though filed with guilty fear,
rusheS through one passage or another,
until he arrives in the corridor that be-
| longs to the servants quarters.
Coming to q certain door, he opens
| it, not without some difficulty, and,
moving into the dark landing that lies
| beyond it, looks around. To any casu
al observer it might seem strange that
some of the cobWebS in this apparent
ly long forgotten place have lately been
| brushed away, as by a figure ascending
| or descending the gloomy staircase.
| To Arthur these signs bring no sur
| prise, which proves that he, perhaps,
| has the best right to know whose figure
brushed them aside.
! Hurrying up the stairs, after closing
! the door carefully and noiselessly be-
| hind him, he reaches, after cOnSidera-
| BILE mountingS of what seem to be in
terminable steps, the upper door he
| had opened on the day they had visited
the haunted chamber, when RingWood
and he had had a passage-at-arms
about his curiosity.
Now he stands breathing heavily
outside this door, wrapped in the dis
NAL darkness of the staircase, listen
ing intently, as it were, for the coming
of a footStep.
In the meantime, Sir Adrian, not
dissuaded from his determination to
search the tower for the missing BAN
gle, runs gayly up the grand, staircase,
traverses the corridors and galleries,
and finally comes to the first of the
iron-bound doors. Opening it, he
stands upon the landing that leads to
the other door by means of the small
stone staircase. Here he pauses.
| Is it some vague ShadOWy sense of
danger that makes him stand now as
though hesitating? A quick shiver
runs through his veins.
"HoW cold it is" he says to himself,
seven on this hot day, up in this melan-
choly placer Yet, he is quite uncOn-
sciOus of the ears that are listening for
his ightest movement, of the wicked
eyes that are watching him through a
chink in the opposite door!
Now he steps forward again, and,
mounting the last flight of stairs, opens
| the fatal door and looks into the room.
! Even now it occurs to him how I'M
| pleasant might be the consequences
Should the door close and the secret
| lock faSten him in against his will. He
pushes. the door we'll open, and holds it
! so, and then tries whether it can fall
to again Of its own accord, and so make
a prisoner Of him.
No; it stands quite open, immoyable
| apparently, and so, convinced that he
is safe enough, he commences his
search. Then, swift as lightning, a
form darts from its concealed position,
rushes up to the stone staircase,
sCealthily creeping still nearer, chances
| into the room.
Sir Adrian's back is turned; he is
! STOPPING, looking in every corner for
the missing prize. He sees nothing,
hears nothing, though treacherOus
form crOuching on the threshold is
making ready to seal his doom.
Arthur Dynecourt, putting forth his
hand, which neither trembles nor fall
tiers Cd its deadly mission, silently lays
hold Of the door, and drawing it to-
ward him the secret lock clicks sharp
ly, and separates the victim from the
world!
Stealthily even now-his evil deed
cOmpliShed-Arthur DynecOurt re-
treats down the stairs, and never in
deed reIaxes his speed until at length
he stands painting, but relentless, in the
servants corridor again.
RemOrse he knows not. But GER
tain sense of fear holds him irresOlute,
making his limbs tremble and bringing
out cold deWs upon his brow. His
rival is safely secured, out Of all
harms way as far as he is concerned.
No human being saw him go to the i'll
fated tower; no human voice heard
him declare his intention of searching
it for the missing trinket. He-Arthur
had been careful before parting from
him to express his settled belief that
| n 11on n 40 20
ed chamber, and therefore he feels pre-
pared to defend his case successfully,
even should the baronet be lucky
enough to find deliverer.
Yet he is not quite easy in his mind.
Fear OF discovery, fear of Sir Adrian's
displeasure, fear Of the world, fear Of
the rope that already seems to bangle
in red lines before his eyes render him
the veriest coward that walks the
earth. Shall he return and release his
prisoner, and treat the whole thing as d
joke, and SO leave Adrian free to dis
pense his bounty at the castle, to en-
terrain in his lavish fashion, to secure
the woman upon whom he-Arthur-
has set his heart for his bride2
No; a thousand times no! A few
short days, and all will belong to Ar
thur Dynecort. He will be ''Sir Ar
thur" then, and the bride he cOvets
Will De unaDl6 10 G6SlSU Gn6 temptation
of a title, and the chance of being mis-
tress of the stately old pile that will
call him master. Let Sir Adrian die
then in his distant garnet alone. des-
pairing, undiscoverable! For who
would think of going to the haunted
room in search Of him? Who Will even
guess that any mission, however i'm
portant, would lead him to it, without
having mentioned it to some one? 1t is
a greWsome spot, seldom visited and
| gladly forgotten; and, indeed, what
possibly could there be in it's bare walls
and it's bloodstained floors to attract
any one? No; surely it is the last place
to suspect any one would go to without
d definite purpose; and what purpose
could Sir Adrian have Of going there?
| So far Arthur feels himself safe. He
turns away, and joins the women and
the returned sporstmen in the upper
| drawing-room.
where is Dynecourt?" asks some
body later Arthur, though he hears
| the question, does not even change
color, but calmly, with a steady hand,
gives Florence her tea.
eyes. where is Sir Adrian2D asks